U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-Up 268
26 February - 4 March 2005


CONTENTS:

DRC: Fighting between UN troops, militias leaves 50 dead
DRC: Congolese army, rebels main suspects of looting, steeling - MONUC
    says
DRC: EU suspends projects in North Kivu
BURUNDI: Nation clears constitutional referendum, looks ahead to
   presidential poll
BURUNDI-RWANDA: Hundreds flee tension, food shortages
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Election campaigns begin, ex-military
   candidates dominate


ALSO SEE:

BURUNDI: Aim for negotiations with FNL, UN official urges
Full 
report

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Interview with Vice-President Abel Goumba
Full 
report


DRC: Fighting between UN troops, militias leaves 50 dead

At least 50 militiamen were killed during fighting between Pakistani UN 
troops and elements suspected to have killed nine UN Bangladeshi 
peacekeepers on 25 February, Gen Jean-Francois Collot d'Escuries, the 
chief of staff of the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic 
of Congo, known as MONUC, told IRIN.

The fighting involving the Pakistanis took place at Loga village, 30 km 
northeast of Bunia, the main town in the troubled northeastern district 
of Ituri. Collot d'Escuries said two UN troops were among the wounded. 
The UN troops were flown to 1 Military Hospital, Thaba Tshwana, in South 
Africa, for medical care; the SAPA news agency reported, quoting 
National Defence Force spokesman, Col John Rolt.

The latest MONUC operation follows the killing of the Bangladeshi 
peacekeepers by militias of the predominantly Lendu Front nationaliste 
integrationniste. The peacekeepers were on patrol in Kafe village when 
they were ambushed, wounded and killed "execution style".

Several leaders of the militia group accused of having executed the 
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been arrested in Kinshasa, Justice 
Minister Kisimba Ngoy told IRIN on Wednesday. Judicial investigations 
are in progress to establish those responsible.

Full 
report


DRC: Congolese army, rebels main suspects of looting, steeling - MONUC 
says

Looting, steeling and burning of villages in the eastern province of 
North Kivu was carried out by armed militias and by members of the newly 
integrated national army: This was the result of an inquiry by MONUC 
published on 24 February.

MONUC's officer-in-charge for special inquires into human rights 
violations, Sonia Bakar, told IRIN that the acts were committed by all 
parties following the fighting in Kanyabayonga from 12 to 15 December 
2004.

Full 
report


DRC: EU suspends projects in North Kivu

The delegation of the European Commission in the DRC suspended two 
projects in North Kivu on Wednesday, following the looting of 
installations of the NGO German Agro Action by militiamen in Nyabondo 
Territory.

One of the suspended projects was aimed at rehabilitating the road 
between Masisi and Walikale, the spokeswoman of the EU delegation, 
Stephanie Carrette, said. The road project was linked to an effort to 
help vulnerable people in the Masisi-Walikale areas.

She said German Agro Action lost 150 canisters of gasoline, 12,000 hoes 
that had been earmarked for farmers, 700 bags of cement, 600 metal 
sheets for schools and health centres, as well as several engines.

Full 
report


BURUNDI: Nation clears constitutional referendum, looks ahead to 
presidential poll

Burundians voted overwhelmingly on Monday for a new constitution that 
redresses the imbalance of power between the minority Tutsis and the 
majority Hutus; the country's main ethnic groups.

On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, or CENI, 
confirmed that 91.2 percent of the electorate voted "yes" for the new 
constitution.

The key elements in the document are its power sharing arrangements. The 
president, to be elected by parliament from the winning political party, 
must have as one of his deputies someone of a different ethnic group and 
political party. In addition, the new constitution provides for a 
60-percent Hutu 40-percent Tutsi representation in all institutions of 
government, except the army and the police where the ratio is 50-50. 
This gives greater power to the Hutu who had, despite their superior 
number, been the political underdogs of the two ethnic groups.

The Hutus make up at least 85 percent of the eight million Burundians 
while the Tutsi, who have dominated leadership since independence from 
Belgium in 1962, represent 14 percent and the Twa, mostly 
hunter-gatherers, account for 1 percent. The Twa claim to have been 
marginalized by both groups.

Full 
report


BURUNDI-RWANDA: Hundreds flee tension, food shortages

Hundreds of Burundians continue to flee into neighbouring Rwanda, citing 
increased tension in their nation despite overwhelming public approval 
of the new constitution, UN and local Rwandan officials said on 
Thursday.

A spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 
Rwanda, Volker Schimmel, said 800 refugees had crossed into Rwanda over 
the last week, while local officials said small numbers still continued 
to trickle in. Schimmel attributed the continuing flight of refugees in 
part to imminent food insecurity in Burundi's northern provinces.

The latest group of refugees includes some 190 Batwa from a northern 
province in Burundi who, the Burundi News Agency reported, fled after 
their Hutu neighbours threatened them in anticipation that the Batwa 
would vote "no" during the constitutional referendum.

A local official in Rwanda's southwestern province of Butare, hosting 
the refugees, said the government had established a temporary transit 
centre to accommodate them, comprised mainly of children, women and the 
elderly.

Rwanda is home to at least 50,000 refugees, comprised of mainly 
Congolese and Burundians. An estimated 4,000 Burundian refugees fled 
into Rwanda in 2004. Schimmel told IRIN that up to 1,000 of these 
refugees had returned to Burundi.

Full 
report


CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Election campaigns begin, ex-military 
candidates dominate

Electoral campaigns began on 26 February nationwide with 11 presidential 
candidates in the race for the highest office. Among the contenders are 
current CAR leader Francois Bozize, former military leader Andre 
Kolingba and one-time Prime Minister Martin Ziguele.

The other candidates are another former Prime Minister Jean-Paul 
Ngoupande, of the Parti de l'Unite nationale; Josue Binoua, an 
independent; Olivier Gabirault of the Alliance pour la democratie et le 
progres; Charles Massi, of the Forum pour la democratie et la modernite; 
former Defense Minister Jean-Jaques Demafouth, an independent; Auguste 
Boukanga, of Union pour le renouveau et la democratie; Henri Pouzerre, 
another independent; and current Vice-President Abel Goumba, of Front 
patriotique pour le progres.

Bozize is running as an independent candidate supported by a coalition 
of political parties and businessmen known as Convergence Kwa Na Kwa, 
meaning, 'Work, only work'.

The constitutional court in Bangui disqualified President Ange-Felix 
Patasse from running on the grounds that he is facing criminal 
investigations. Bozize ousted Patasse from power in March 2003.

Almost 1,000 candidates are contesting the 105-seat National Assembly. 
Presidential and legislative elections, which are scheduled for 13 
March, follow decades of political instability and violence.

Full 
report


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